Balancing the Scales
by Jae and Elle
Summary: John has had enough. For anyone who ever wanted Alan to pay for his selfish streak. A collaboration between LexietFive and Darkflame's Pyre - A Tracy Seven fic. (Don't like extra siblings; well that's fine, but please don't read, because even if you say nasty things we won't bother acknowledging them. *Grins*) Original Series.


**Hiya, everyone, this is Jae and Elle (or most of you will know us as Darkflame's Pyre and LexietFive respectively), we've tried our hand at an original verse story with a twist. We've included Jae's OC Kent Slayton Tracy, and Elle's OC Bonnie Dunbar Tracy. If you don't like extra siblings or even Tracy Sisters then please don't read.**

 **Being John lovers, we always wanted to rectify the times Alan wriggled out of his duties and so that is what we aim to do. We hope you enjoy x**

 **Disclaimer: Nope, we don't own the Thunderbirds. We can dream though!**

John finished flicking the switches and grinned, he reckoned he just had time for coffee before Thunderbird Three was due to arrive.

"Another month over," he chuckled as he crossed the control room heading for the small kitchen. "And no falling for baby brother's excuses this time." He poured himself a strong hot sweet cup and sipped it thoughtfully. "Not for the want of him trying though." As he leaned back against the counter, cradling the warm mug in his hands, there was a sudden chirruping sound from his wrist, and he raised it to his face, an eyebrow raised as Scott's face swam into view.

"Scott Tracy from Thunderbird Five,"

"John here." He replied, inclining his head to his eldest sibling. "You ready to dock then, Big Brother?" As he spoke, still clutching his coffee tightly - he was going to finish this mug before he left, Alan would just have to put up with him staring over his shoulder - John trotted back into the control room, flicking an enquiring glance at Scott as he went.

"Not exactly..." Scott said dryly. "We've come up against a slight... hitch."

"What kind of hitch?" John asked, instantly concerned, "Docking hitch?" It would just be his luck that the one time he was going home on time... the damn equipment malfunctioned.

"No..." Scott said, an irritated look on his stern face. "Alan just remembered..."

"Oh no!" John said flatly, "Not this time, not at short notice, he's not weaselling out of his tour of duty! I'm going home... tell him to get his butt in here, Just for once, I refuse, I don't care what he's missing or forgotten or even if he gets sick, John Tracy is going home today!"

"Well... would you believe that the idiot forgot his duffel bag?" Scott snorted, shaking his head. "We've had to turn around and go back, because he says that apparently all his laundry up there is dirty, and that he's out of deodorant, so I'm sorry John, but much as you wanna come back, you're gonna be stuck up there for a few hours longer. We're only a third of the way back from where we had to turn..."

"How the hell did the moron manage to do that?" John asked angrily. "Deodorant? He's living alone for a month for heaven's sake, who the hell is going to smell him,? Other than me when I return! Oh and serves him right for not taking his laundry home last time... tell him he bloody well owes me, for once I'm counting the minutes I'm owed..."

He slammed his cup down on the counter and pursed his mouth in irritation as Scott cut in.

"We know John, Dad is already marking it down, he's furious at the waste of money and fuel for this, believe me, for once Alan is in trouble over it."

"So he damned well should be!" John fumed. "I'm sick of being taken advantage of, I hope this means he won't be turning a blind eye to the brat anymore!" He glared furiously at his brother as the older man shrugged in sympathy, feeling the back of his neck burn from the anger that felt close to literally exploding out of him. "He better watch out when he does get up here." John snapped. "He'll be lucky if I don't wring his neck. I'm not here simply to wait for His Highness to get his backside up here when it suits him. Serves him right if Dad blisters him! I'll see you when you get here, then, Scott," he finished, anger still boiling beneath his skin. "Thunderbird Five out!"

He cut the connection, balled his fists up and yelled, letting his voice echo around the near-silent station, cursing viciously and fluently in every language that came to mind. What was it with his little brother? Why did he seem to think that just because he was an astronomer and at home up here, did it never cross his mind that John loved both his worlds equally? That he'd like to soak in the rays of the sun and spend time with their father, brothers and sister too? He'd put up with it at first but enough was enough. The kid had better beware, Scott would need to keep them apart, right now his cold icy temper was burning hot and Alan was a moving target...

"I'm not a doormat!" he yelled again.

"Of course you're not, whoever said otherwise?"

Feeling like a startled - he didn't know what, not a rabbit - John spun around at the new voice that echoed out, letting out a grunt of greeting as he took in the vid screen to the right of the communications board.

His third, and immediately older brother looked at him curiously, a dark eyebrow raised in question even as John clenched his fists once again with the anger still coursing through him.

"Alan." John said the word like a curse as he looked at Kent, Virgil's identical twin peering from behind his spectacles as he took in John's stance with a calculating expression. "He's not said it to my face specifically, but his actions are damn well implying it. I'm over it."

"I see,'" Kent said slowly, "Well, I'm not surprised, it's been brewing for a while, what _does_ surprise me is that you didn't react long ago, Johnny. You lose your temper so rarely, the kid probably thinks you're an easy touch... us older ones, well we know differently..."

John faced the screen fully, and eyed him, "Maybe so, after all I hardly see him anymore," he shook his head ruefully though his fists were still clenching, "guess I'm out of sight, out of mind, I'm surprised any of you remember I'm here, least of all Dad,"

"Well that's a load of BS, isn't it?" Kent commented lightly, the man's face - slightly thinner than Virgil's, but no less friendly for its angles - tightening slightly as he replied. "I know Scott in particular would be offended if you told him that, at least, and what do you think I'm doing talking to you right now then, if you're that surprised? You look like you're about to pop a gasket, no surprise in sight, Kiddo."

A small grin crept over his brother's face, and John wondered absently what had Kent so amused. He didn't find anything remotely funny about this situation, so he told the younger twin so.

"Well if you coulda seen Alan's face when Dad told him he's up the creek when he gets down, you would be too." The man's deep brown eyes lit up with mischievous glee. "Dad's fuming, you gotta be a fly on the wall when he blasts him, Johnny, it's gonna be brilliant. This has been coming for weeks."

A slow smile crept over John's face as he contemplated the thought. "You know Dad never lets us witness each others' dressings-down," he said, his voice warming slightly "Only Scott will be official witness to that..." He eyed his third brother, a wicked thought in mind. "How about you and I do some hacking, K?"

"You read my mind, Johnny." Kent's eyes crinkled with laughter. "I was just about to suggest that. I can patch us into the portraits if you like, without the visuals being initiated? We'll have the visual and audio on our ends, but they'll be none the wiser. Just need you to boost the signal, you reckon it'd work?"

"Of course," John smirked, "and thanks to little brother, I have time to set up the main controls here so that I can do it via remote," he moved across to the console, and began tapping in commands. "So was it really that bad, Kent?"

"Bad enough," Kent said, "Dad was already wound up, some investment or other has gone belly up and Alan was stupid enough to not see the signs... Dad bellowed that loudly at his sheer carelessness, I'm surprised you didn't hear him up there."

John grinned in return, "Nope, but then I wasn't really listening for it. Are the others okay?" He knew from experience how the siblings made themselves scarce when their father was annoyed.

Kent chuckled, "Bonnie is in hiding in her room, if that's what you mean, Virg has decided to do maintenance on Two, and I think Gords followed him to Pod 4, I almost hope for Alan's sake that Dad calms down before they meet again."

"Well I don't." John said dismissively. "Honestly, that kid deserves every inch of Dad's displeasure he gets. And mine, for that matter, I'm not pulling my punches on this one, Kent. It might be stupid, but this is just one time too many, I'm sick of having to pander to him. He can't just pick and choose when it suits him to come up here, I have a life I want to live too, so he needs to get the message quick-smart, otherwise he's going to see a side of me he doesn't like."

"Easy, Johnny." Kent told him. "I contacted you to make sure you calmed down, not kept firing like Scott left his VTOLs on, alright? Take a breath, and stop fuming, you're gonna leave the kid to suffocate on your smoke when Dad finally does send him off..."

"Too right I will," John declared, "my time in the sunshine and all that, I love my 'Bird, you all know that but I like home too. It's time I called it like it is, we need to sort it that our tours are monitored and extras be accommodated for. I'm not unreasonable, I don't mind when it's his racing etc, but how often do I change or miss out on my own affairs just because they clash with his?"

"I know Johnny, I know." Kent soothed him, much to John's disgust - he was not a bloody child, alright? "We'll bring it up with Dad when the time comes, I can't say that he'll take it easily - you know you gotta approach him just so with any changes - but it's definitely been brought to his attention that the kid's been messing all of us about, and you know Virg and I will be your backup if you need it, but you just gotta take it with a level head. I know you're steaming, and rightly so, but you know your temper gets the best of you, you're just like Dad and Scott in that respect, and you know it!"

"Just with a longer fuse?" John couldn't help but snort. "Thanks anyway, Kent, I know you're right, you know me so well, Big Brother, don't you? At least I have a few more hours to cool off." He pressed a few more commands and stepped back. "There! It's all ready to go, just needs hacking at your end and we can sit back and enjoy the show later..."

"I try Johnny." Kent grinned at him, flipping him a cheerful salute. "I'll get right on it now, little brother, I'll talk to you in a little while then. I'll have a job trying to keep this from Bonnie, you know she'll realise something is up... Anyway, you might be able to finish that coffee of yours, Bro." Kent's smirking gaze swept across the interior of Thunderbird Five, and John winced at the precious beverage that he'd slopped all over the counter in his fury. "If I were you, I'd pinch the last few tins of that," Kent noted, a grin teasing at his lips. "And if Al complains, tell him it's my revenge for the last time he put that paint bucket above my bedroom door!

John pondered for a few seconds and then nodded, "Why not, and no I'll take the blame, K. Maybe it'll make him realise I may be quiet but I'm not an eternal pushover..." He strode across and opened the small pantry door, collecting up the cans. "I'm leaving that godawful stuff he bought up that time, the one when he raced in Turkey. He hated it, and moved onto my supply, well now he can drink it or go without."

"Good idea," his older brother nodded in appreciation before shuddering. "I remember that stuff, smelled revolting when brewed, even Scott despised it, and he'd drink tar if it was caffeine-infused. Anyways, Kiddo, I best get cracking on our project... hopefully Dad's out of the way. I'll see you when you finally get here."

"Alright then," John acknowledged as he juggled the cans to his hold-all. "Good luck, Kent."

The connection terminated, John finished packing the cans into his bag and strode across to the large panoramic window, sighing heavily he leaned against it, staring out into the vast darkness, hoping his beloved stars would soothe him into peace.


End file.
